The 1998 New York Yankees were indeed a special unit. In the annals of baseball history, they will certainly go down as one of the best ever. With an all-time best American League record of 114-48, a record that was actually eclipsed three years later by the 2001 Seattle Mariners, this Yankees team went on an historic run.
On a roster that included such stars as Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte, David Wells, and Mariano Rivera among so many others, one player truly enjoyed the ride of his life during the stretch run toward that 24th World Series title – Outfielder Shane Spencer.
Spencer was a career minor-leaguer who had spent nine seasons in the Yankees farm system after being a 28th round draft pick in 1990. After a brief April call-up at the beginning of the ’98 season, Spencer was sent back down and then came back up to the Bronx in June (one game), July (three games), August (seven games) and ultimately September (14 games), when rosters expanded for the stretch run.
By this time, the Yankees had all but demolished the AL East, siting in first place with an eye-popping 99-38 record on the day Spencer was called up. Little did the team know that a folk-hero was about to be born in Yankees history. Spencer went on a tear that won Yankees’ fans hearts everywhere. In those 14 games in September, he crushed 10 home runs (three of them grand slams) and ignited the baseball world with a batting line that read .421/.476/1.105.
In his first ever postseason at bat in game one of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers, Spencer blasted a home run into the left-field seats at the old Stadium to help the Yankees jump out to an early series lead. In the clinching game three at the Ballpark in Arlington, Spencer did it again! He launched another towering blast into the left-field seats, as the yankees went on to sweep the series and move on to the ALCS.
Spencer was loosely given the nickname “Roy Hobbs” after the main character in the popular film “The Natural.” As he hit home run after home run in September, you could almost hear that film’s famous theme echoing loudly as a long-forgotten minor leaguer was making his mark on an historic Yankees team. He also earned the nickname “Shane Spencer The Home Run Dispenser.” The Yankees would win the World Series that year capping off an incredible season, and they would make their journey down the Canyon of Heroes as World Series champions in a ticker-tape parade.
On a roster filled with legends and even some future hall-of-famers, a folk-hero was born. Spencer spent the next four seasons with the Yankees and eventually left via free agency after the 2002 season. As loud as he came in to the league, he quietly disappeared from the professional baseball landscape.
However, he will always be remembered by Yankees fans for that magical September ride that lead to October glory in the Bronx.
